“Photography can only represent the present. Once photographed, the subject becomes part of the past.” - Berenice Abbott - 1898 - 1991
MY BIOGRAPHY
My interest in Photography first started in the late 70's when I bought my first SLR Camera, an Olympus OM10 with a couple of zoom lenses, back then I took photos of anything that moved... and most things that didn't! After a couple of years of taking Colour photos which was very expensive, I was introduced to Black & White film, I managed to set up a Darkroom in our (tiny!) third bedroom and started to develop my own Black & White photos with some considerable success. In the late 80's we moved, to a two bedroom house and I unfortunately forfeited my Darkroom.
Around this time (1988) I developed (excuse the Pun) an interest in Target Rifle and Pistol Shooting, I joined a local Target Shooting Club and in 1991 became Chairman of Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Marksmen. I progressed in Pistol and Rifle Shooting and over the next 20 years I became one of the top 10 shooters with Gallery Rifles in the UK and a British Record holder twice. My Photography consequently took a back seat.
In 2008 I sustained an accident at work and injured my shoulder, it was over 12 months before I finally underwent surgery to repair it, and approx the same amount of time recovering from it, this meant I didn't shoot competitively for over two years. During a clear out at home in early 2011 I found my old Camera together with a couple of rolls of colour film over 20 years old...! I took them with me on a trip to a local beauty spot, fired off both rolls and was pleasantly surprised when I got them back from the developers. Realising I still had the Photography bug and as my shooting had been suffering for some time I made the decision to sell one of my Rifles to fund the purchase of a Digital SLR... In January 2012 I resigned from the Chair of Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Marksmen, the following year I gave up Shooting altogether to devote more time to my Photography.
I still shoot but these days it's with a Camera... I use Nikon bodies with different Lenses, this makes it a lot easier and quicker than always swapping the Lenses over on one Body and it also reduces the possibility of dust and grit getting onto the Camera Sensor when changing Lenses... My software preference is mainly Lightroom for post production with Photoshop to make final edits.
In 2014 I was invited to be a Second Shooter for a local (and very busy) Documentary Wedding Photographer. Weddings is a subject I always insisted I would never do but having been a second photographer at over 100 Weddings to date I can honestly say I am thoroughly enjoying it.
They say that you should stick to a subject you are good at, my love for Photography won't let me do that, I will tackle headlong any subject or challenge that comes along which is quite evident when you browse through my photographs. Whatever I'm Photographing I enjoy the Taking and the Editing I now use every chance I get to capture moments in time that would otherwise be lost forever.
Many of my photographs have been featured in several major Photographic Magazines:
Digital SLR Magazine ran a six page feature about my HDR Photography in their "Reader Hero" section in issue 69 July 2012.
In Digital SLR Magazine's "Photo-blogs" section in Issues 85 (Life's a Beach) and again in Issue 86 (Streetwise) I was afforded a two page spread in each.
N-Photo Magazine published one of my images (Bearded Man) on a full page in Issue 22 Summer 2013.
In December 2013 Amateur Photographer Magazine featured three of my images in their "Spotlight" section with one of them being awarded the "Editor's Choice"
More recently (2018) I was published again in N-Photo Magazine with a two page spread about my Miniature Figures Photography where I take inch high figures and place them in everyday situations similar to our own.
Around this time (1988) I developed (excuse the Pun) an interest in Target Rifle and Pistol Shooting, I joined a local Target Shooting Club and in 1991 became Chairman of Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Marksmen. I progressed in Pistol and Rifle Shooting and over the next 20 years I became one of the top 10 shooters with Gallery Rifles in the UK and a British Record holder twice. My Photography consequently took a back seat.
In 2008 I sustained an accident at work and injured my shoulder, it was over 12 months before I finally underwent surgery to repair it, and approx the same amount of time recovering from it, this meant I didn't shoot competitively for over two years. During a clear out at home in early 2011 I found my old Camera together with a couple of rolls of colour film over 20 years old...! I took them with me on a trip to a local beauty spot, fired off both rolls and was pleasantly surprised when I got them back from the developers. Realising I still had the Photography bug and as my shooting had been suffering for some time I made the decision to sell one of my Rifles to fund the purchase of a Digital SLR... In January 2012 I resigned from the Chair of Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Marksmen, the following year I gave up Shooting altogether to devote more time to my Photography.
I still shoot but these days it's with a Camera... I use Nikon bodies with different Lenses, this makes it a lot easier and quicker than always swapping the Lenses over on one Body and it also reduces the possibility of dust and grit getting onto the Camera Sensor when changing Lenses... My software preference is mainly Lightroom for post production with Photoshop to make final edits.
In 2014 I was invited to be a Second Shooter for a local (and very busy) Documentary Wedding Photographer. Weddings is a subject I always insisted I would never do but having been a second photographer at over 100 Weddings to date I can honestly say I am thoroughly enjoying it.
They say that you should stick to a subject you are good at, my love for Photography won't let me do that, I will tackle headlong any subject or challenge that comes along which is quite evident when you browse through my photographs. Whatever I'm Photographing I enjoy the Taking and the Editing I now use every chance I get to capture moments in time that would otherwise be lost forever.
Many of my photographs have been featured in several major Photographic Magazines:
Digital SLR Magazine ran a six page feature about my HDR Photography in their "Reader Hero" section in issue 69 July 2012.
In Digital SLR Magazine's "Photo-blogs" section in Issues 85 (Life's a Beach) and again in Issue 86 (Streetwise) I was afforded a two page spread in each.
N-Photo Magazine published one of my images (Bearded Man) on a full page in Issue 22 Summer 2013.
In December 2013 Amateur Photographer Magazine featured three of my images in their "Spotlight" section with one of them being awarded the "Editor's Choice"
More recently (2018) I was published again in N-Photo Magazine with a two page spread about my Miniature Figures Photography where I take inch high figures and place them in everyday situations similar to our own.
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Some very kind comments from Facebook users about my Photography.
Maureen Edwards:- What wonderful colours you've captured. Andrea Newton:- I love this one - it would look fabulous on my landing. James Payne Ltd, Llandudno:- We would like to say a big thank you to Mike Shields Photography for the amazing job he did taking photos of the store inside and out. We hope you all like them as much as we do. Colwyn Bay Heritage Group:- Hi Mike, Love your photos, many thanks for letting us share them. Looking forward to seeing more... Rita Henty:- Fantastic photographs! you really have got a gift. Well done! Lynn Churchill-Coleman:- Stunning as usual Mike :) All Images on this website are Copyrighted by Mike Shields Photography
“ Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph". - Matt Hardy |
“ You don’t take a photograph, you make it". - Ansel Adams “ Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst". - Henri Cartier-Bresson  |
